2026 Change Agent Award
Paul L. Caccamise
Paul L. Caccamise, LMSW, ACSW, has dedicated more than five decades to advancing the safety, dignity, and rights of older adults, establishing himself as one of the nation's most respected leaders in elder justice. As Vice President for Programs at Lifespan of Greater Rochester, he provides strategic and clinical leadership for programs serving older adults at risk of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and other forms of mistreatment.Prior to joining Lifespan, Paul served for 17 years as Administrator of Adult Protective Services for the Monroe County Department of Social Services, where he championed innovative approaches to protecting vulnerable adults and strengthening multidisciplinary collaboration. Since joining Lifespan in 2002, he has been instrumental in shaping elder justice policy, practice, research, and systems change throughout New York State and across the nation.
A visionary leader and nationally recognized advocate, Paul oversees Lifespan's role in implementing New York State's Enhanced Multidisciplinary Team (E-MDT) Initiative, serves as Project Director for the National Center for State and Tribal Elder Justice Coalitions, supervises the New York State Coalition on Elder Abuse, and is a founding Steering Committee member of the National Network of State Elder Justice Coalitions.
Paul has played a pivotal role in advancing the field through research and strategic planning. He served as Project Director for the landmark New York State Elder Abuse Prevalence Study, one of the nation's foundational studies on elder abuse, and helped organize the New York State Elder Abuse Summits, bringing together professionals across multiple disciplines to strengthen statewide strategies for preventing and responding to elder abuse.
Throughout his distinguished career, Paul has been a tireless educator and advocate. A sought-after speaker at local, state, and national conferences, he has testified before New York State and federal legislative bodies and has been featured by PBS News and ABC News, helping elevate public awareness of elder abuse and its prevention.
Paul's influence extends well beyond Upstate New York through longstanding partnerships with organizations throughout New York City, including JASA, Carter Burden Network, Neighborhood SHOPP, CEASe, The Weinberg Center, and Community Agency for Senior Citizens Inc. (CASC), as well as healthcare systems, legal service providers, government agencies, and multidisciplinary teams. Through these collaborations, he has helped strengthen partnerships, influence policy, and improve services for older adults.
In recognition of his extraordinary contributions, Paul received the 2025 Art Mason Award for Elder Justice from the New York State Office for the Aging, honoring his more than 50 years of leadership and unwavering commitment to ensuring older adults live free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
Paul is the recipient of the 2026 Change Agent Award because of the profound and lasting impact he has had on the elder justice movement. His leadership, authenticity, humility, compassion, and integrity have inspired generations of professionals while transforming systems of care for older adults. His legacy is reflected not only in the programs he has built, the policies he has influenced, and the research he has advanced, but also in the countless professionals he has mentored and the immeasurable number of older adults whose lives have been made safer because of his life's work.